Kiefer braces for 'dogfight' in SEA Games

MANILA, Philippines – Southeast Asian Games veteran Kiefer Ravena anticipates nothing less than a "dogfight" when Gilas Pilipinas takes on their regional rivals in the biennial tournament next week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Ravena, participating in his fourth SEA Games, said the basketball tournament has become progressively more difficult, even as the Philippines continue to dominate the event.

The Philippine national basketball team that will compete in the SEA Games. Arvin Lim, ABS-CBN Sports

In 2015, a young Philippine team composed mostly of cadets survived scares against Thailand in the semis and Indonesia in the finals to take home the gold medal. Two years later, Ravena said the Filipinos should brace for an even tougher campaign.

The reason, he said, is that most of the other countries' national teams have been playing together for over half a decade now. In contrast, the Philippines' SEA Games team has been overhauled virtually every time.